News

The Bella Moss Foundation (with a little help from the National Office of Animal Health and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust) has created a fun family-friendly video to explain antibiotic resistance - and encourage us all to listen to our medics and vets in order to help beat the bugs!

Skin Fold Problems and Successful Long Term Management through Cleaning: A New Approach.
Skin fold problems are very common and are often seen by the veterinarian. Certain breeds are more predisposed to skin fold issues than others. Wrinkly breeds such as the shar-pei, bulldog, pug and bloodhound by the very nature of their design are particularly prone to this type of condition and dogs where obesity has become an issue are also at risk due to folds created by excess fat.

The veterinary practice dispensary can be a myriad of bottles, tablets, drops and creams. Looking on the shelves of many dispensaries it is fairly common to see quite a few variants of the same type of product. Often too, this duplication can creep into the waiting room and it is not uncommon to see two or three brands of similar types of products sitting on the display shelf for clients to choose from.

Useful tips from the dermatologist! Ear cleaning can enhance treatment of an existing ear problem or prevent the development of a new one. Some dogs that are prone to ear infections may need regular ear cleaning between veterinary visits. Home ear cleaning can also help remove dirt and cerumen that can prevent medications from reaching inflamed areas, as well as get rid of allergens and microorganisms that may contribute to the inflammation or infection.

Melatonin is a hormone (N-acetyl-5 methoxytryptamine) produced especially at night in the pineal gland. Its secretion is stimulated by the dark and inhibited by light. Tryptophan is converted to serotonin and finally converted to melatonin. The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus have melatonin receptors and melatonin may have a direct action on SCN to influence "circadian" rhythms. These are the natural body clocks possessed by all living things to regulate their 24 hour activity cycle.

A variety of wound protection options and devices are available to prevent self-trauma following injury or surgery with canine patients. This article discusses various features of these devices that should be considered by the veterinary surgeon or nurse when choosing a device for a patient.

It is not uncommon in our daily practice to be consulted on dogs presenting with greasy and smelly skin. This clinical presentation is often referred to as “seborrhoea” and this term has been used in the veterinary dermatology literature for many years. Seborrhoea literally means “flow of sebum” and it has been loosely correlated with abnormal sebaceous gland function. It has also been used to identify animals presenting with dry skin (seborrhoea sicca) but this term should not be used any more as it is only appropriate to use the term seborrhoea for those patients with greasy skin, which may or may not have concurrent scaling.

Zinc plays a critical role in regulating many aspects of cellular metabolism, a number of which are concerned with the maintenance of a healthy coat and skin. Zinc forms a part of a wide range of metalloenzymes and it is of particular importance in rapidly dividing cells, including those of the epidermis.

Waggy Tail is just one of the many names given to a frustrating, non-healing tail tip wound in dogs. Any small scratch or wound can start it off, and left alone, these wounds would normally heal without treatment. The average Labrador however, tends to continue to wag its tail enthusiastically and so the wound does not heal.

Topical therapy is important in the management of many dermatological conditions because the skin is readily accessible to medications. Several formulations are available for veterinary surgeons and may include many active ingredients.

Spring is in the air and it’s that time of year again when Congress will soon be upon us. We had a great inaugural congress exhibition at the London Vet Show in November where we made our official introduction into the veterinary world. As vets from across the world descend on Birmingham for WSAVA in April we hope to have a bigger and better Congress and meet as many new faces as we can, so please come along to Stand 107 and see what Vetruus has to offer.

This is the eighth in a series of short articles with the aim to inform colleagues in practice about diagnostic tests done on our patients with dermatological problems. This article will focus on food trials.

We are often presented with itchy dogs. They lick, nibble, bite, rub, scratch and roll. In referral practice I see more and more cases with a long history of pruritus in which several tests have been done, including skin biopsy and allergy tests.

This is the sixth in our series of short articles with the aim to inform colleagues in practice about diagnostic tests done on our patients with dermatological problems. This article will focus on skin biopsy (technique and usefulness of the test).

This is the fifth in a series of short articles with the aim of informing colleagues in practice about diagnostic tests commonly done on our dermatological patients. This article will focus on sample collection techniques and the usefulness of carrying out a culture and sensitivity (C&S) test.

Much has been written in the vet press recently about how to survive the credit squeeze and the downturn in the economy. “Analyse your business”; Review your charges”; ” Improve your retail area”; “Market the practice” and those dirty words………”Sell more!”

This is the fourth in a series of short articles with the aim to encourage colleagues in practice to become familiar with the different techniques used while carrying out diagnostic tests in our dermatological patients.

This is the third in a series of short articles with the aim of encouraging colleagues in practice to become familiar with the different techniques used in diagnostic tests in order to achieve a rapid, convenient and inexpensive indication of whether a patient has an ear infection and what type of infections is present (yeast vs. bacteria).

This is the second in a series of short articles with the aim to encourage colleagues in practice to become familiar with and use more often this diagnostic test. A trichogram will give a rapid, convenient and inexpensive indication of whether a patient has a certain ectoparasite infestation, a structural defect of the hair shaft and will identify the stage of the hair cycle.

This is the first in a series of short articles aiming to encourage colleagues in practice to become familiar with performing diagnostic tests. The majority of tests which will be discussed in these articles require no specialist equipment apart from a good microscope.
Using these techniques more often will enable you to get a rapid, convenient and inexpensive indication of whether a patient has a certain ectoparasite infestation.

Saturday 6th October saw Jess, our Communications Director, marry her lovely husband Andy at Curradine Barns in Worcestershire. It was a wonderful day, with glorious autumn sunshine and we were so pleased to be a part of it.

Sunday April 22nd saw our derm supplements guru Sue Paterson running her 7th London Marathon in London. Sue, who supplies our Ear Wicks and our specialist derm supplements – Onychotin ( Biotin), Melacutin ( Melatonin) and Zinacutin ( Zinc ) - is one of the leading European specialists in veterinary dermatology and has run this gruelling race each year to support Guide Dogs for the Blind.

If you have never tried a Pocket Coffee, then you got the opportunity to try one at our stand at London Vet Show last week. Dark chocolate containing a shot of expresso coffee and made by the Italian company Ferrero Rocher ( we had those on the stand as well ! ) drew in lots of delegates to talk to us about our new derm products.

We are excited to announce that Vetruus will be exhibiting at the 2011 London Vet show at London Olympia on 24th and 25th November. This will be a great opportunity for members of the vet industry to discover more about who we are and learn about our new range of products.

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The Bella Moss Foundation (with a little help from the National Office of Animal Health and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust) has created a fun family-friendly video to explain antibiotic resistance - and encourage us all to listen to our medics and vets in order to help beat the bugs! Read More